Pet Peeves

So, I was sitting in my Transitions Workshop today, and we were all talking about things that push your buttons. And I thought -- I read a lot. And there are a lot of things that push my buttons in literature. So...I thought I would share a few, and maybe -- if anyone actually reads this blog -- maybe people will tell me in the comments section what sort of things in books push their buttons.

1. The Attitude Towards Death In Novels

If any author wants to kill off one of their characters, fine. If an author wants to kill its lead character, that's fine too -- after all, that was one of the bigger elements in 1940s cinema and it worked -- but whatever you do, don't write your main character's death in the first person. A finishing epilogue in the third person isn't such that bad of an idea, but it drives me bonkers to read a character writing their life's story all the way up until their final breath. In one book I read, the lead character wrote her story all the way up until her death -- in the water. VC Andrews' ghostwriters, I'm looking at you here -- you all are the worst for it.

2. Lack of Depth To A Character

I've always looked at creating a character like they're Michael Corleone from the Godfather. That, to me, is one of the most well-crafted characters of all time. The change, the depth, the range; it's what I strive my characters to be like, and I think it's what other authors should do with their characters. I feel that EVERY writer should know their characters like the back of their hand and should be able to tell you EVERYTHING about them. I also feel every good writer has an attachment to their protagonists in some way. If you can't feel attached, then why should your readers be attached? If you don't care about the characters, it shows to the readers.

3. Spelling Errors

Believe it or not, I've seen these in books. I read one book, an adaptation of The Burning Bed case, and it was just rife with spelling errors. I've also read a few with a couple of errors. It makes me want to throttle their editors. Spelling errors is one of my biggest pet peeves, and it just rips me completely out of the book.